


Sit Still

by buckybarfs



Series: Words [6]
Category: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Family Love, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love, Love/Hate, OFC Is Adopted, OFC Is From Wakanda, OFC is a WOC, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Steve Rogers Tries His Best, Thor Braids Hair, Thor Is A Big Puppy, Tony Doesn't Know When To Stop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2018-10-14 05:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10529451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckybarfs/pseuds/buckybarfs
Summary: “He's injured.” A man's voice stated from behind her.Safiya whirled around, her eyes widening as she realized who stood in front of her.“It is but a scratch.” Thor explained to her, looking every bit uncomfortable as she did.The words that rested under the curve of her breast ached at his words, yet her mind reminded her that The Avengers were not good people. So, she simply nodded to the Captain and told him where to sit Thor.The god was clearly uneasy around doctors, he squirmed as she tried to clean the deep gash on his arm.“Sit still!” She barked in annoyance, and before her eyes she watched his entire demeanor change. The formerly exhausted and wilting prince sat up straighter, his eyes sparkled, and the biggest difference was that he actually sat still.





	1. A Terrible Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Alice Williams](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Alice+Williams).



> Has anybody else noticed that most chartered Thor fics have him and Loki competing? That made me kinda sad so my OFC is all Thors.

_“He's injured.” A man's voice stated from behind her._   
_Safiya whirled around, her eyes widening as she realized who stood in front of her._   
_“It is but a scratch.” Thor explained to her, looking every bit uncomfortable as she did._   
_The words that rested under the curve of her breast ached at his words, yet her mind reminded her that The Avengers were not good people. So, she simply nodded to the Captain and told him where to sit Thor._   
_The god was clearly uneasy around doctors, he squirmed as she tried to clean the deep gash on his arm._   
_“Sit still!” She barked in annoyance, and before her eyes she watched his entire demeanor change. The formerly exhausted and wilting prince sat up straighter, his eyes sparkled, and the biggest difference was that he actually sat still._   
_“Of course, my love.” He replied with a blinding smile._   
_Oh, how badly she wanted to squeeze a lemon into the gash._

* * *

Heimdall had chosen not to tell Thor about the human soulmate he saw for him. Not wanting to change the man's path and possibly accidentally destroy the world in the process. So Heimdall kept this secret, the secret of Safiya Nkechi Femi, only intervening when Loki took to earth to destroy humans. He kept the girl hidden, out of his sight, but more importantly out of Loki’s.

* * *

Safiyas birth had been ordinary, until the doctors noticed a black smudge on her brown skin, they told her parents to keep an eye on it. They didn't. Instead the child was given up for adoption, the parents too worried about the strange mark.

Her family was small, but warm. Her mother had been paralyzed from the waist down in an accident and her father was sterile, neither could have children so they adopted. Safiya was their first, and boy did they love her. Her parents chose the name Nkechi for her middle name as it meant ‘God’s Present’ which is exactly what she was to  
them.

By the time she was six it became obvious what the mark was, it was her soulmark. To date she was the only known person to have been born with a soulmark, something that perplexed doctors. She was simply an anomaly.

‘It is but a scratch.’ The mark read, the writing was loopy and elegant, something of beauty.

* * *

Safiya considered herself lucky to grow up in one of the most advanced countries in the world. She was also incredibly lucky that her nation encouraged greatness to point where when she said she wanted to be a doctor she was immediately given the opportunity to study abroad. Instead she chose to stay home and study, to help raise her little sisters and care for her wheelchair bound mother. Truly, it was the best option, because of the nation's advancements she got her MD in nearly half the time it would have taken in a country like America.

Up until she finished her schooling she could never imagine why anybody would want to leave Wakanda. She held a lot of pride in her heart for her home, but as she grew older she realized why people left the closed borders kept them safe, but it also kept them isolated. She quickly developed a lust for travel, a deep seated need that she argued with constantly. She didn't want to leave her home, but she wanted to see the world, and make an impact on it. Her mind wasn't fully made up until she discovered Doctors Without Borders, after reading their website she talked it over with her parents.

Despite being a grown adult she stayed with her family, Wakandans were known to hold family within a high regard. So, when she decided to go away she sat her parents down and discussed it with them. Tears were shed but ultimately they all agreed she should go for it.

The reply after sending in her application was almost immediate, they were ecstatic to have someone from Wakanda applying. She was accepted immediately, and thus started her life.

* * *

She had long grown tired of cleaning up the messes that the Avengers left in their wake. After seeing the destruction brought to the world by Loki she decided she didn't care for the heros. Sure, they had saved the world, but they had also doomed it.

New York had been an eye opener to her, until then Doctors Without Borders had never really been to America, but after the Chitauri disaster many of them were called. Safiya was sent immediately, despite being young in comparison to her comrades she was exceptionally bright and an incredibly hard worker. The number of injured rivaled any she had seen thus far, she had dealt with hundreds of injured people but never so many from one event. She vaguely wondered if this was what it was like to live in a world with superheroes, only to remind herself that Wakanda had a hero of their own, and they were nothing like this.

It was in Sokovia that she met him.

She had run back to her little base set up to grab more materials before running back out into fray in search of wounded. Typically she went to patients, they didn't come to her, which is why she was surprised to hear a voice behind her.

“He's injured.” A man's voice stated from behind her.

Safiya whirled around, her eyes widening as she realized who stood in front of her. The man who had spoken was the Captain America, and the injured man he referred to was Thor.

“It is but a scratch.” Thor explained to her, looking every bit uncomfortable as she did.

The words that rested under the curve of her breast ached at his words, yet her mind reminded her that The Avengers were not good people. So, she simply nodded to the Captain and told him where to sit Thor.

The god was clearly uneasy around doctors, he squirmed as she tried to clean the deep gash on his arm. She found herself getting frustrated with the large man, who was behaving like an overgrown toddler, telling her that his healing rate was far too advanced to need any type of medical attention.

“Sit still!” She barked in annoyance, and before her eyes she watched his entire demeanor change.

The formerly exhausted and wilting prince sat up straighter, his eyes sparkled, and the biggest difference was that he actually sat still.

“Of course, my love.” He replied with a blinding smile.

Oh, how badly she wanted to squeeze a lemon into the gash.

But instead she maintained her professional composure, dutifully stitching up the gash before grabbing her supplies and walking away without a word. The blonde man sat on the half destroyed trunk of a car with shock on his face, he had just met his soulmate and she had just ignored him.

* * *

Six months later Safiya was living in France, she had decided to take some time off from Doctors Without Borders. The work had taken its toll on her, slowly draining her of hope for the world. She had gone into the job wide eyed and excited, happy to be doing some job, right now she simply felt defeated.

Sometimes in the middle of the night her soulmark would ache, wanting to be touched by the golden haired god, and under the guise of privacy she'd give into her primal urges and satisfy herself to thoughts of the god. A fact she would never admit and planned to take to the grave, as she was sure she would never get over her hatred for the destructive heros. But there was nothing wrong with having a little fun when you were lonely.

Safiya had condemned herself to a life of solitude, choosing to refrain from going out and having a life, instead finding a job as an ER doctor and volunteering at one of the nearest abused women's shelters. She felt she did some good there, she was saving lives, and not ones that were being caused by superhero casualties. Ones that were being threatened by every day life, which she found she preferred.

Her only friend was one back home, Kokumo, who she occasionally texted, though the two had grown apart since Kokumo had started a family. Safiya set aside most of her free time to video chat with her family, talking to them like she would if she lived back home. She would help her little sisters with their homework and discuss her work life with her parents.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door, the sound resonating loudly through her tiny apartment.

“ _Ndiyeke_!” She half groaned, half shouted into her pillow. She often said words in her native language of Xhosa without even realizing it, this was one of those times.

When she opened the door she was met with some very dressed down avengers standing in the hallway. She fought the urge to slam the door in their faces. Instead choosing to lean on the door frame, her box braids swinging behind her as she moved.

“Why are you here?” She asked calmly, though a hint of venom snuck into her voice.

“We have a proposition for you.” Stark said.

“I don't want to hear it.” She purposefully yawned and moved to turn back into her apartment.

“Lady Safiya!”

There he was, the oversized god that she was bonded to forever. She wondered exactly how she hadn't seen him but decided to not put too much thought into it. Slowly she turned back around and crossed her arms.

“What?”

“May we come in, please?” Steve asked politely, it was just the three of them, no other avengers in sight, though knowing some of their specialties she wouldn't be surprised if they were in the vicinity.

After a moment of hesitation she decided that it would be better to just let them in than have them lingering in the hallways where her neighbors would see them. “Fine.” She grumbled as she pulled the door open wider and stepped out of the doorway. “Don't break anything!” She tacked on as an afterthought.

The men filed into her small studio apartment, once they had all gotten in they seemed to take up every inch of space she had, which made her incredibly uncomfortable. She watched as Tony threw himself onto her couch, a vintage red velvet chesterfield couch that she really would have preferred he stayed away from. Steve looked at her then looked to the couch as if asking permission, which she granted with a shrug. Thor didn't sit down, he instead looked all around the tiny apartment and stood, bouncing on his heels as he waited for her to say something. The man was the embodiment of an oversized Labrador and she tried her hardest not to find it endearing.

“You can sit.” She said with a nod to the couch, her tone was more of a command than an offer, a command which Thor gladly followed.

“Thank you, Lady Safiya.”

“Why are you here?” She wished they would just get on with it so she could refuse whatever they were here for and then go on with her life. As she waited for a reply she stepped into her small kitchen, hoping to distance herself from them, and started a pot of coffee.

“We’d like to offer you a position on our team, as our team doctor.” Steve explained with a friendly smile.

“Coming here to blackmail me into being your team doctor seems below you, Cap. Shouldn't your spies be doing it?” As soon as the words left her mouth she knew they were unwarranted, it hadn't been her intention to come off so rudely.

Steve frowned deeply before responding, “No blackmail, it's just an offer.” He looked disappointed and it made Safiya squirm.

“Coffee?” She offered weakly, using the beverage as a peace treaty. All three men accepted the cup and said however she made it would be fine.

“However, if you want blackmail we can give you blackmail. We can give you the names of your real parents, but only if you come with us.” Tony quipped.

Safiya’s fists clenched, she had no interest in that offer, she had no interest in her birth parents whatsoever. “I’d like for you to leave now.” Her voice was steady and calm but anybody with ears could hear the bubbling below the surface.

“Dr Femi-” Steve started in an effort to diffuse the situation.

“No. I have no interest in my birth family, I have a family and it is wonderful as it is. I don't need some names on a piece of paper to complete me. I don't know how you found out I was adopted but that's personal information that is none of your damn business. I'm going to guess that somebody from Doctors Without Borders told you.” Their guilty looks answered that one. “Furthermore, there is no way you know my birth parents names. That information is sealed and locked up in Wakanda. A nation vastly superior to yours in all aspects and with security that not even you, Mr. Stark, can hack. So no, I do not accept your offer and I do not want your bogus information. Please do me a favor and get out of my house.”

“Miss Femi, with all due respect Tony is an ass.” Steve said softly, holding his hands up in surrender. “But we really could use a woman of your skills on our team.”

“If it would help, Lady Safiya, we could keep Tony quiet for the rest of this conversation.” Thor offered with a wide smile. She had to resist the urge to ask him not to drool on her couch.

“Hey now-” Tony started but was cut off by Thor’s large hand slapping over his mouth. The god shooting a hopeful smile in her direction.

If she was being honest Doctors Without Borders didn't pay well. She was nearly twenty seven and had barely managed to save up a dime, her money went to supporting her family. They could get by, as Wakanda made sure that everybody within its borders was able to survive. But they didn't make enough money for her sisters to get new clothes every year, or for her mother to get the massages that soothed her aching back. The things she wanted to give to her family were things of luxury, but in her eyes her family deserved them, so for that reason and that reason only, she poured them each a cup of coffee.

She decided that Thor would get the mug that said ‘We can't all be princesses, someone has to clap when I walk by.’ The irony of it bringing her secret joy. Tony got the one that said ‘Grown Ass Woman’ on the side in large loopy red font. Steves said ‘I’m the fucker in charge of you fuckers!’ Which thought was hilarious considering that according to the internet swearing made the cap uncomfortable. Her mug said ‘I try VERY hard not to lose my patients.’ Her father had gifted her the mug after she finished medical school.

After she handed them each their mug she retreated to the kitchen to grab her mug and gleefully watch as they all checked out their mugs. Steve and Thor snickering as they read Tony's, while Tony simply glanced at his and shrugged before taking a sip.

After all of the men sipped the coffee they all let out undignified moans, the sounds escaping them in perfect unison. Safiya had always been told she made amazing coffee, perhaps that was her superpower.

“This is wonderful, thank you, Lady Safiya!” Thor exclaimed, Safiya had to look away as he beamed at her, the intensity of his gaze startling her.

She grabbed her mug and slowly maneuvered into her living room to sit in the chair opposite of the couch, as she did this Thor and Steve sat straight up, while Tony simply slouched glumly.

“So, tell me about this offer.”

If Thor had a tail it would be wagging so hard she’d worry it might fall off.

 

 


	2. A Speck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Safiya has a heart to heart with her mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! I’m sorry for taking so long to update. I’ve had this chapter half written for ages, I’m sorry it’s so short.

“Why are you hiring another doctor if you already have one or two?” She was confused about why the avengers needed so many doctors and medical staff, most of them healed supernaturally anyways. It seemed wasteful to her, those doctors could all be of better use elsewhere, somewhere they could actually help people.

“Dr. Cho isn't with us full time and Genevieve is still finishing medical school. She's more of a field medic than an actual doctor. She goes on missions with us, you wouldn't.” Steve explained, taking a sip after he finished.

Her mug looked so tiny in his hands, everything of hers looked tiny compared to the larger than life men that sat in her living room. It made her feel entirely too small, she wasn't a large woman, standing at a simple five foot four she was tiny compared to all of them. Tony was only a few inches taller than her, but his ego and name made him seem massive. Steve was probably at least six foot and Thor was well over that.

“This doesn't have anything to do with my soulmark does it?” Suspicion tinged her voice, she didn't want to only get a job because she happened to be marked with the words of a Norse God. She was too skilled for that.

Steve's lips pursed for a moment, trying to figure out what to say and how to say it the right way. “We would like to keep you close, yes, but we do need someone of your expertise on the team.”

“I would love to get to know you.” Thor was back to vibrating excitedly. Safiya didn't want to admit it but his excitement was cute, the way he absolutely lit up at the idea of getting to know her made her insides squirm. Involuntarily she found herself smiling, just a little bit, a slight flush rising to her cheeks as the God continued to stare at her like she was the prettiest gem he had ever seen.

* * *

 

Tony had asked how attached to her furniture she was, truly all she wanted to keep was her couch so he had promised it would be in her new apartment back at the tower. They left for a few hours to allow her to pack the few belongings she had, once she had finished packing she only had two suitcases, one filled with clothes and one with miscellaneous items, mostly family pictures and mugs.

“ _Umama!_ Listen for a moment.” Her voice was thick with annoyance, the idea of moving and starting a new job stressing her out. She had a bad habit of taking her annoyance out on others, even though it usually wasn't related to them.

Her mother blinked, her pixelated form on the computer taking on a look of aggravation as she stared down her daughter. “ _Ukubukela umlomo wakho_!”

Safiya cringed at her mother's tone, she knew she had been rude, she hadn't intended to come off that way, she was just worried, and scared. “I'm sorry, _umama_.” The older woman's response was only a grumble as she waited for her daughter to continue. “I got a new job, so I will be moving.”

“Where?”

“To America.”

“America? But why, _intombazana yakho_?”

“This job has better benefits.” She hesitated, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell her mom about the God. However, she had never kept secrets from her mother before. After experiencing her first kiss she had ran home and told her mother all about it, much to the woman’s amusement.

“You are not telling everything to me.” Her mother said, her thickly accented voice taking on an accusatory tone.

“I met him.” She said softly, looking down at her hands. For the first time in her life Safiya was afraid of telling the truth to her mother. She had kept it a secret for months.

The Avengers were not held in high regard in their country, they were seen as brash and careless people who masqueraded as heroes. But, Thor was different right? He came from another realm, he wasn’t just an Avenger, he was a whole prince.

“When?” Her mother asked.

“Sokovia.”

Her mother looked surprised, and a brief look of hurt flashed across her features. They had always been open with each other.

Everyone was shocked it was taking her so long to meet her soulmate, seeing as she had been born with the mark.

“ _Does it all make sense now? Why you’ve had it since you were born_?” Her mother asked, changing the topic slightly.

The words made Safiya flinch. She had been ridiculed as a child for having been born with her soul mark, and as she got older her friends started to worry for her. Everyone expected that since she was born with it she would meet her soulmate as a child.

Though, her soulmate being a Norse God who was thousands of years old definitely explained it.

“ _It does_.” She mumbled pushing her braids behind her ear.

Her mother frowned, “ _Safiya. Are you alright_?” Concern filling the elder woman’s tone.

Tears leaked from Safiya’s eyes, she didn’t understand why she was crying, but she felt incredibly stupid. “ _No, yes, I don’t know_!” Her silent tears turned into full sobs, snot dripping from her nose as she wailed.

She had spent so many years of her life looking at the heroes with such disdain, and now she was to be with one of them forever. She didn’t even believe in him, he wasn’t even a part of her belief systems, but he was real. Even worse, she’d exist for a speck of his life and once she withered away and died in what would simply be the blink of an eye for him he’d move on.

Why of all people had the universe chosen her? Silver and red were not her colors. She didn’t even find white men to be attractive, and now she was stuck with an overgrown man child who probably couldn’t even use a microwave.

It was all small things that had her upset right now, but all of it felt huge. The weight of the world was crushing down on her right now and she couldn’t bear it.

“ _Safiya. Get yourself together. We do not cry over men_.” Her mother commanded, her tongue clicking in their native tongue.

“ _Umama, it’s one of them_.” She whimpered, wiping the ridiculous tears from her eyes.

Her mother frowned slightly, she had heard her daughter complain about them for years. “ _An Avenger_?”

“ _The big one with the hammer_.” She confirmed, reaching over to grab a Kleenex from her coffee table.

 _“The Uthixo? He is attractive, yes_?” Her mom asked, a sly grin taking over her features.

“ _Umama! You know I don’t even like white men_.” She sighed.

“ _Yes, but he is much easier on the eyes than some of them. Plus, he is a prince, that doesn’t hurt_.” The older woman pointed out, clapping delightedly.

“ _He is an alien! You will never get those grandchildren you always go on about_.” Her mother wasn’t taking this seriously and that made more tears we’ll up in her eyes.

The salt and peppered haired woman replied with a shrug. “ _You can adopt. You need not carry a child to be its parent, Bokkie_.” There was slight annoyance in the mother’s voice as she gently scolded her daughter.

Safiya groaned. “ _That’s not what I meant. I’m just a speck in his life. I will die old and he will carry on, still young and stupidly gorgeous_.”

Her mother frowned, now that she could understand. “ _I know not what to tell you, intombazana yakho_.”

Despite the conversation having been held in Xhosa for the most part, the Norse God that stood out side of her door had understood every word. His exceptional hearing and gift of omnilingualism felt like a curse right now. He has intruded on a private conversation and he felt dirty and slightly guilty.

“Should we knock?” Steve whispered, looked confused. He had heard the conversation, but hadn’t understood a word. However, the sound of crying was universal.

It was just the two men standing outside of the door, having left Tony behind because of what had happened earlier. Neither of them knew what to do, both felt like it would be intrusive to knock, but they couldn’t stand outside all day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umama - mom  
> Ukubukela umlomo wakho - watch your mouth  
> intombazana yakho - my daughter  
> Uthixo - God  
> Bokkie - sweetheart/honey

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my twitter for updates on this fic (and all my others!) plus polls and questions about what YOU would like to see. @buckybarfs


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